While She Is Here in My Arms
by Jesus' girl 4ever
Summary: Anakin deals with the stress of Leia growing up and dating. AU, sequel to "Light Up the Dark."
1. Awkwardness and Angry Dad

**While She Is Here in My Arms**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 1: Awkwardness and Angry Dad**

"I do not like that man," Anakin fumed to his wife.

"Now, now, love. Let's give him a chance," Padmé gently scolded him.

"Padmé, he flirted with our daughter in front of us!"

"Yes, he did, but, as I recall, you attempted to flirt with me in front of my parents."

"That was different."

"How?"

"Well...it just was!"

"You just don't like it because the girl is your daughter. If my father had thought that you were actually flirting with me, he would have shot you, most likely."

"Marvelous idea! Can I borrow your blaster?"

"No, Anakin. You need to try to get to know him."

"Why should I?"

"Because Leia likes him. He seems to make her happy. And you want her to be happy, right?"

"That's not a fair argument. Anyway, he seems to me to be a bit of a scoundrel."

"My father would have classified you as such."

"Would you stop comparing this to our relationship?"

"When you stop acting like a hypocrite. And remember that we married behind my family's back. Do you want Leia to do that?"

"Of course not!"

"Then I suggest that you try to like Han Solo."

At that moment, Luke poked his head into the kitchen. "Mom, Dad, is everything all right? You're taking a long time."

"Yes, everything's fine. Your father and I are just having a heated discussion."

Luke raised his eyebrows. "Does it happen to involve Han?"

Anakin gritted his teeth. "Yes, it does."

"Ah. I like him. I think Leia does, too."

Padmé nodded. "Well, your father doesn't."

"Mmm hmm. I see."

"What does he do for a living, Luke?" Anakin asked.

"Maybe you should ask him, Dad."

"Just don't interrogate him, Ani," Padmé admonished.

"Who? Me?" he asked with an innocent look on his face. Padmé rolled her eyes and picked up the bowls of ice cream she had originally left the dining room to prepare. "Ani, get the pot of caf. Luke, get mugs."

"Yes, ma'am," they answered, following her back to the dining room. She stopped in front of the closed door. "So, who's going to be a show off?"

The door swung open. "Thank you, whoever did it."

"I did," Luke said with a grin. The three walked in and saw Leia and Han laughing at something one of them had said. Padmé raised her eyebrows. "What's so funny?"

Han stopped long enough to say, "Her Highnessness was just telling me about some of the pranks she and Luke pulled when they were younger."

"And, Leia, why aren't you putting your siblings to bed like I told you to?"

"Oh. Well, Uncle Obi-Wan offered to take them. He told them he'd share some embarrassing stories about Dad."

Anakin coughed. "He certainly has an impressive stock of those."

She giggled. "Yeah, but I have a couple, too, you know."

"Such as?"

"The fact that I realized that you were my dad within a month of moving in with you, but you took nearly six months to figure it out." Leia winked.

"They've heard that one too many times for it to be embarrassing."

"The number of times I've told it doesn't seem to affect how red your cheeks get whenever I bring it up."

"Anakin, just let her have this one," Padmé said. "We won't have peace until you do."

He sighed. "Fine. So, Han, what is it that you do for a living?"

"I'm a pilot, sir. I fly for anyone who pays me enough. That's how Leia and I met, actually."

"What's this?" Padmé asked.

Leia quickly cut in. "Oh, I kind of crashed my starfighter on a random planet and destroyed my comlink on the way home from a mission-"

"Jedi or Senate?" Anakin asked.

"Jedi. Anyway, I managed to find a nearby city, and I went to the docking bay to find a ship to bring me back to Coruscant. I met Han and his copilot, Chewbacca, and they took me. They dropped me off at the Temple, where I met Luke-I think you were in a Council meeting or something, Dad-and the four of us went for a quick bite to eat at Dex's. It was fun, so we decided to meet again. Uncle Obi-Wan and Luke were called away on a mission at the last minute, but the three of us went anyway."

"And you never thought to inform your father of this?"

"Anakin!" Padmé scolded. "Not now."

Leia pursed her lips. "Daddy, please? Save it for later?"

Anakin let out a rush of air. "You know that I can never tell those big brown eyes no."

She grinned. "Thanks."

Padmé then cleared her throat and attempted to diffuse the tension in the room. "Han, Leia mentioned your copilot is named Chewbacca. That sounds like a Wookiee name."

"It is, Mrs. Skywalker. Chewie and I go a long way back."

"Call me Padmé, please. May I ask how you two met?"

"Of course. I was flying my ship alone, when I was tractor beamed by a group of slavers. Well, I might not be the greatest person in the galaxy, but I absolutely loathe slavery. So I prepared to defend myself (and hopefully rid the galaxy of some scum). Four of them broke into my ship, and I dispatched them rather quickly. Well, without going into too much detail, I managed to kill most of the slavers and free their slaves, many of whom happened to be Wookiees. Chewie was one of them, the only adult that the slavers hadn't killed among a large group of children. So we flew the ship to Kashyyyk, and we dropped off the children. I planned to leave him there, too, but he insisted on coming with me and swore a life debt to me. We've been best friends ever since."

"That's quite an interesting story, Han."

"Yes. Gives me a greater respect for you," Anakin added. Everyone but Padmé gave him strange looks, but her face held understanding and remembrance. "I was born a slave on Tatooine," he elaborated.

The twins blinked. "How…" Leia began.

"Did we…" Luke continued.

"Not know that?" they chorused.

Obi-Wan, who had just walked into the room, blinked. "I will never get used to that."

"None of us will," Anakin said. "And you didn't know because it never came up, and I usually don't like to talk about my past."

"Well, that's definitely true," Leia agreed with a small smile.

The family (plus Han and Obi-Wan) continued to exchange stories and memories for a few more hours until Han had to leave. Leia quickly volunteered to show him out (much to Anakin's consternation), and she returned alone after a couple of minutes. "Now, young lady," Anakin said firmly, "we need to talk."

 _A/N: So, here's the long-awaited (I hope) sequel to "Light Up the Dark"! It picks up a couple of minutes after the epilogue. Also, I've got a new SW story that's a Rey and Kylo Ren time travel story! Please go check it out! It's called "One Wrong Step."_

 _Also, about the title. For "Light Up the Dark," though I never mentioned it, the theme song (in my opinion) was "In My Arms" by Plumb (Look it up; it really seems like a Daddy!Anakin song.). This story's theme song will be "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman. A line in that song is "So I'll dance with Cinderella, while she is here in my arms." It's basically a song about a dad dealing with his daughter growing up and eventually getting married. Since that's the type of thing this story will cover, I thought the title fit._


	2. Dealing with Han Solo

**While She Is Here in My Arms**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 2: Dealing with Han Solo**

Leia opened her mouth to defend herself, but Anakin continued before she could. "Why did you never mention Han Solo before?"

Leia sighed. "Well...at first I didn't say anything about him because I didn't think it would last. He was nice, but I never thought he would be the kind of guy that settled down to one girl. But once we had been going out for a while and we had realized we were in love...well, I knew you would act like this, and I was afraid you wouldn't give him any chance at all! So I thought I'd just wait and let you meet him for yourself."

"For what it's worth, Dad," Luke cut in, "since I'm sure you didn't notice earlier, he treats Leia like you treat Mom, like a queen. He loves her, Dad, and he'd do anything for her. I'm certain of that."

Anakin let out a slow rush of air as he put his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "I just don't want to see you hurt, baby."

She smiled gently. "I'm not a nine-year-old kid anymore, Dad. I can take care of myself." She kissed his cheek. "But I'll always be your baby. I promise you that."

Anakin hugged her tightly before turning to his brother. "Obi-Wan, how long are you staying?"

"A couple more days, maybe. Why?"

"I was wondering if you would go with Luke and me to meet Han Solo tomorrow for lunch...that is, if Leia will ask him to meet us?" He raised his eyebrows.

She nodded. "If you'll give him a chance."

"I promise."

"Then I'll ask him to meet you. You'd better apologize to him, as well."

"If it'll make you happy, I will."

She grinned. "Thanks, Daddy."

 _ ***WSIHMA***_

The next day, Anakin, Luke, and Obi-Wan met Han at a diner in Theed. After several awkward moments of silence (and several elbows from Luke), Anakin said, "Han, I need to apologize to you for how I acted last night. I shouldn't have been so unwelcoming and unfriendly."

Han chuckled. "Don't worry about that, sir. Any decent father would have acted like you did if his daughter brought home a stranger she had never talked about before. Especially a guy who's obviously older than she is."

Anakin raised his eyebrows, finding his respect for the other man rising more.

Obi-Wan asked Han, "So, where is your copilot, Chewbacca, I think his name was?"

"Oh, Chewie's staying on the _Falcon._ Very few places are capable of accommodating a Wookiee, so he usually keeps an eye on our ship."

"You'd like Han's ship, Dad. She looks like a piece of junk, but, man, is she fast!" Luke added.

"Really? How fast does she go?"

"She can make point five past lightspeed."

Anakin whistled. "That is fast."

"Yep. The _Falcon's_ the best ship I could have asked for. I won her in a sabacc tournament a few years ago."

Luke's eyes twinkled. "Han, you haven't even told Dad about your proudest accomplishment with her."

"Right." He coughed. "A few years ago, while I was a smuggler, I managed to make the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs."

Anakin's eyes widened. "Less than twelve? That's rather dangerous."

"Yeah, but I made it. I retired from smuggling in favor of more legal activities soon before I met Leia, however."

Luke glanced around with a frown. "Where did Uncle go?"

"I'm guessing that he got tired of hearing us talk about ships and went to the 'fresher." Anakin winked.

Sure enough, Obi-Wan returned a few moments later, and the four continued their conversation, at least until their food arrived. When the men left, it was with a promise from Han that he and Chewie would join the Skywalkers (and Obi-Wan) for supper that night. (Leia was rather excited upon receiving this news.)

 _ ***WSIHMA***_

Han and Chewie were at the Skywalker house every night for several weeks before Han worked up the courage to ask to speak with Anakin alone. The Jedi agreed, of course, and the two went for a walk through the streets of Theed. They made small talk for several minutes until Han had again become ready to ask Anakin a difficult question. "Mr. Skywalker?" he said hesitantly.

"Anakin, Han, remember?"

He began stuttering. "Right…Anakin. Anyway…I-I was wondering…I mean…Leia and I have been going out for a while…and I'd like your…I mean…"

Anakin took in a deep breath. "Han, are you trying to ask my permission to propose to Leia?"

He nodded. "Yes, sir."

Anakin groaned. "You know, I was afraid you would ask that soon."

Han tried not to express his impatience with the older man.

"Han." Anakin placed his hand on the other's shoulder. "Leia is my baby girl. She literally saved me from the darkness when she was only ten years old. She has been the light of my life for nearly twelve years now. I can't imagine where I would be now if I had never met her. I would do anything to keep her safe…from anything. 'Anything' included Palpatine when she was ten, even though I was supposed to be serving him. 'Anything' now would include anyone, _anyone,_ who would hurt her, whether physically or emotionally."

Han nodded. "I promise that I would never do anything to hurt Leia."

"I don't believe that you would. But what if someone else attempted to hurt her? What would you do?"

"I'd die to keep her safe. I swear that."

He nodded. "I have one more question to ask you before I answer yours. You know that Leia is a Jedi. She loves being one, so what will you do? Will you force her to stop being a Jedi because she could be sent into harm's way?"

Han stopped and thought about his answer. "Leia does enjoy being a Jedi. I would never take that away from her, but I can't risk her being hurt. So…I would go with her wherever she is sent and protect her myself."

Anakin smiled. "That, Han, is the right answer. You have my permission and blessing to propose to Leia."

An answering grin spread across Han's face. "Thank you, sir." The two made their way back to the Skywalkers' house, where Leia was waiting for them, with the rest of the family behind her. Han, not wanting to waste the courage he still had, went straight up to her and knelt, pulling out a ring box. Leia and Padmé gasped. "Leia Skywalker, I love you with all my heart. Would you be willing to marry a scoundrel like me, though Force knows I don't deserve you?"

She giggled. "Yes, yes, yes! Of course I'll marry you!" She flung her arms around her boyfriend's-well, fiancé, now-neck. Her parents' eyes met, and Anakin gave a small, sad smile to Padmé.

 _A/N: Sorry this update took so long. So I know I haven't really touched on what happened between chapter 12 of LUtD and the epilogue, but it doesn't really fit with the story, as everyone here is aware of what's been going on in the galaxy, so here it is in bulk:_

 _The Republic: Bail Organa was chancellor for four years before he and Breha adopted another little girl, this one really an orphan (I imagine her as being Winter from Legends, but you can do what you will with that). Mon Mothma was elected to replace him, and she, at this point, is still chancellor._

 _The Jedi: Yoda was the Grand Master until his death a few years after he returned from Dagobah. The Council (at least as far as I know) consists of Obi-Wan, Anakin, Kanan, and Ahsoka. If you know of any other Jedi who survived the purges (canonically), let me know! Please! The Code, as I mentioned in LUtD, has been abolished, which you could have guessed by the fact that Ani and the twins live with Padmé._

 _Obi-Wan: He's basically what you think the ideal Jedi is. He also ascended to the rank of Grand Master after Yoda died._

 _Padmé: She retook her seat in the Senate and balanced that with being a mother, even after Obi-Wan was born. However, when Shmi came along, she and Anakin had a long talk, and they decided that she should retire from politics and focus on raising the kids (Her niece Pooja took her place, in case you're curious)._

 _Luke: He just threw himself into the life of a Jedi and big brother. He hasn't changed much from canon._

 _Anakin: Since his redemption, he devoted himself to his family first and the Jedi second. He grew as a Jedi and is now the "Master of the Order." If you don't know what that is, it's (at least as far as I can tell) the second in command of the Jedi Order. Mace Windu held this position in the movies._

 _Leia: She became even more of a daddy's girl (if that's possible) and continued in her Jedi training. When, in her first year as chancellor, Mon Mothma recommended that the Jedi appoint a representative to the Senate, giving them more of a say in how the Republic they serve actually works. Even though she was only fourteen, Leia was elected rather easily (then again, she didn't have much competition). So she has status as both a Jedi and a Senator, thus explaining why, in the last chapter, Anakin had to ask whether she met Han on a Jedi or Senate mission._

 _If you have any more questions about what happened that I didn't cover, ask away and I'll either give you the answer or come up with one (y'know, in case I didn't think about that?). Oh, and, as an aside, Snoke just doesn't exist. Or Ani and Obi killed him. Whichever you prefer._


	3. Wedding Preparations

**While She Is Here in My Arms**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 3: Wedding Preparations**

The day after Han proposed, Leia and Padmé went into wedding preparation mode. Han, Luke, and Anakin escaped the house as often as possible. During the next couple of weeks, they managed to decide on several things, including the date (two months after Han had asked her), the location (Varykino, where Anakin and Padmé had married), a best man-er, well, Wookiee (Chewie), two groomsmen (Luke and Lando, an old friend of Han's), and two bridesmaids (Leia's cousins Ryoo and Pooja). What they did not have was a maid of honor. "She has to be someone who won't be afraid of a Wookiee," Leia mused as she and her mother brainstormed about it.

"True," Padmé agreed. "What about-"

Leia's eyes lit up. "I know!" She stood up and darted over to her comlink.

"Hello?" a voice on the other end answered.

"Hi. It's Leia."

"Leia! How are you?"

"I'm doing great...actually, I'm getting married in a few weeks."

"No way! Really? To Han?"

She grinned. "Yes."

"Well, congratulations! Are we invited?"

She smirked. "But of course. You should be getting formal invitations soon. However...I was hoping that you would be my maid-well, matron-of honor."

"Are you sure? I mean, I'm honored, but-"

Leia cut in. "I'm sure. Besides, I was your maid of honor a few months ago. Now you can return the favor."

She chuckled. "Fair enough. See you soon, then?"

"You bet, Jyn. Say hi to Cassian for me."

"Will do."

Leia disconnected the call and smiled at her mother. "Matron of honor, check."

 _ ***WSIHMA***_

A few days later, a day when Anakin had not been able to escape, he was watching a podrace on the holonet. Behind him, Padmé and Leia were talking about the guest list for the wedding. "So, who are we missing?" Padmé asked.

"Uh…do we have Biggs and Wedge?"

"Yes…and I still think that it's very sweet of you to be willing to invite your brother's best friends to your wedding."

"Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru?"

"Yes." The podrace got louder, and Padmé signaled her daughter to wait for a moment. "Ani!"

"Yes, Angel?" he answered.

"Could you please turn that off? It's really difficult to plan a romantic wedding with crashes and announcers reveling in death in the background."

He laughed. "Can I wait to see who wins? They should announce that in a second."

"All right." She turned back to their daughter. "Anyone else?"

"What about…oh! Kes and Shara?"

"Also here."

"Good. Oh, Sabine? Hera?"

"Yes and yes."

"Let's see…Bodhi, Baze, and Chirrut?"

"Yes."

"Uh…all the Senators in the Senate?"

Padmé chuckled. "Not all, but most of them." She bit her lip. "Speaking of…did you ask him?"

Leia shook her head no.

"Well, you need to, darling. If you're going to ask him permission, do it now; we've got to start sending these invitations."

She nodded and approached her dad, brown eyes wide and hopeful. "Daddy?"

"Yes, princess?"

She bit her lip, hesitating. "Would...would it be all right with you if I invited Bail and Breha to the wedding? I mean, they did raise me for nine years, and-"

Anakin put a finger over her mouth. "It's your wedding, princess. You don't need my permission to invite anyone."

She smiled. "Thanks, Daddy."

He blinked rapidly to try to clear the tears welling up there. Leia reached up to wipe them away before she placed her hand in his, and the two began to slowly dance to inaudible music. "Do you remember the first time I danced with you?" she asked softly.

A melancholy grin spread across his face. "Of course."

"I was nine, remember?"

"You'd only been living with me for a couple of months."

"I knew that you were my dad, but, of course, you didn't know that."

"Stop rubbing it in. Anyway, you came up to me while I was doing some paperwork, and, looking as adorable as possible, you told me that you were going to a ball that night and that you needed to practice dancing."

"Then I used the puppy dog eyes on you and said, 'Please, Mister Vader, please?'"

"I wasn't able to tell those big brown eyes no." He winked. "Never have been, probably never will be."

She smiled, snuggling closer to him. "Do you remember my first Senate ball?"

"Vaguely...I tend to block those events from my memory as much as possible...who escorted you again? I should remember, but I don't."

"Ezra, because, at the time, the only boys I really knew were him, Luke, Uncle Obi-Wan, and you, and I wasn't going to go to my first ball as a Senator with my dad, brother, or uncle."

"That's right...the only thing I distinctly remember is you asking if I approved of the dress you were wearing, and then you asking my help to practice for it."

"You, of course, were glad to do so."

"I'm always willing to dance with my baby." Anakin sighed. "Now you've got a ring on your hand, always glowing as you tell us guys all you and Mom planned that day."

Leia smiled. "Dad...my wedding's still a month away, but I do need to practice dancing. Please, Daddy...please?"

Anakin smiled, and the two continued to sway to nonexistent music.

 _So I will dance with Cinderella while she is here in my arms, cause I know something the prince never knew. I will dance with Cinderella; I don't wanna miss even one song. Cause, all too soon, the clock will strike midnight, and she'll be gone._


	4. Leia Skywalker Solo

**While She Is Here in My Arms**

Disclaimer: I don't own.

 **Chapter 4: Leia Skywalker Solo**

The day that Anakin had been dreading for years had finally come. His daughter was getting married. Everything was in place, and the wedding was due to start in about two minutes. Han and the holy man were waiting, and Leia was all dressed up. Anakin pressed his lips against her forehead before sitting next to her. "I love you."

"Love you, too, Daddy." She paused. "Have you ever thought about what our lives would have been like if we hadn't met when I was nine?"

"Occasionally, yes. I'd still be firmly buried in the Dark Side, you'd still be an Organa, Luke would still be on Tatooine…"

"You and Uncle would still hate each other, the Empire would still exist...actually, I'd probably be very heavily involved in the Rebellion."

"I'm sure you would be…I-meaning me, not Vader-would be so proud of you if you were. But…what if we had met on opposite sides of a civil war? What if we never knew?"

"Well, to extrapolate and guess a little bit, you might have arrested me. Maybe even more than once."

"I would have interrogated you, had that occurred." They both winced, knowing what that might have entailed.

"To make it more fun…let's say that I had captured the…I don't know…the plans to the Death Star, since no one would have stopped Palpatine from finishing it."

"So I would have gotten them back?"

"No…you would have tried, but I would have hidden them inside Artoo. And…just to make it interesting, I would have sent them down to Tatooine before you captured me."

"So Luke would have found them?"

"Yep, and then he and Uncle would have come to rescue me. They might have even hired Han and Chewie to take them."

"And then what?"

"Then Luke would have blown up the Death Star."

"Would we have ever found out about being related?"

"Probably, but I wouldn't have liked you. You know, because you interrogated me?"

"Luke would still have been a Jedi, though. I can't really imagine him as anything else."

"Oh, yes, of course." She bit her lip. "Han and I would have still gotten married, but we'd still be fighting off the remnants of the Empire."

They both laughed at this much darker world they had thought up. "Leia, you have quite the imagination." He wrapped an arm around her. "Thankfully none of that ever happened." Suddenly, the music began to play, and the bridesmaids and groomsmen started making their way down the aisle. Anakin offered his daughter his arm, which she took. "Looks like it's time."

She smiled. "I'll always be your princess, you know, Daddy."

"I know that, baby. Now come on. I assume you don't want to keep your fiancée waiting."

 _ ***WSIHMA***_

At the reception after the wedding, Anakin couldn't help but look around. Next to him was his wife, his angel, who had somehow forgiven him for everything he had done to her. Across the room, dancing with a girl Anakin had never seen but who appeared to be Mandalorian, was his older son, a Jedi in his own right. Another quick glance revealed his younger children trying to swipe some extra food from the buffet tables (something he normally would have scolded them for, but this was a special occasion), his master (father in everything but name and blood) speaking to some of the Council members, and his former apprentice dancing with a Senator (wait, what?). Finally, in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by their friends and family, his daughter and new son-in-law stared into each other's eyes, completely in love. _This might just be the only good thing Palpatine ever did: without realizing it, he gave me back my family._

"Anakin?" his wife asked, placing her hand on his arm. "Are you all right?"

He blinked, coming back to reality. "Yes, of course, angel. I just…I'm remembering how blessed I am, with everyone having forgiven me and left the past in the past."

"It's because we love you."

"I know. And I love you all." He leaned over and kissed her. "I'm so grateful you gave me a second chance."

She smiled. "Come on, Anakin. Let's dance." The two walked onto the dance floor hand in hand, both smiling ear to ear.

 _A/N: Sorry this took so long and is so short...I thought it would be funny if they imagined canon, but then Anakin said that that was ridiculous. Just kind of a jab at the fact that literally everything that could go wrong for this family, did._

 _Kudos to anybody who can name the people Luke and Ahsoka were dancing with._


End file.
